Howdy everybody,So to take care of a little business first. This is the email address that everything is going to be run through while I'm gone. My wonderful Mother is going to be managing it and forwarding my letters on to everyone and I'm sure that if you want to send letters to me through this she'll make sure that I get them. also for all of those that enjoy blogging my Sister-in-law Konnie has offered to keep a blog updated with letters and pictures (I can't seem to find the link for it right now but as soon as I do I'll send it out). I would like to thank both My Mom and Konnie for all the help they are offering to keep everybody in touch while I'm in Mexico!
So this week has been a roller coaster. I've been up and down so many times I lost track. Friday was my last day at work. I know so many great people from work. I may have had a lot of days that I didn't want to get up and go to work but in the end I didn't really want to leave. I sat in my manager, Heather's, office for about 45 minutes before she made me walk with her to the security check point and took my badges :( It was hard to leave but no one said it was going to be easy. Sunday the Finch family invited me to spend the afternoon with them, which I think was the best way I could spend my last sunday. It made me realize how much a family means to me and that I need to do everything I can to spend quality time with my family before I leave. There is a saying that I always here and it is begining to mean a lot more to me. The saying goes something like this: 'its never going to be easy to do great things'. I look at the things that try to stand in the way of me going on a mission, which I know to be my great thing right now. There are always the 'normal' things that stand in the way girlfriends(what if they don't wait), jobs, school. I have a few more to add that I never considered before but I've encountered them this week. #1 friends- I've found it harder to leave friends that I've made and strengthen the friendship I have with older friends then I ever imagined it would be. I found that be a great pull to stay but I'm grateful to the great friends I have who all support me in going. #2 transportation- in the past year I have gone through basically three cars( the first one we had to replace the head, the second was stolen, and now the third is back in the shop) it would be so easy to say I can't go I have to fix the car and I won't have enough money or it'll just break down on the way to utah. There are many more things that i could add to the list but the point is that now more then ever I know that Jesus is the Christ my Savior and Redeemer. I know that my mission to Tampico is the great thing that I am suppose to be doing now and I know as Nephi did that When the lord gives a commandment unto the children of men that he will prepare the way( 1 Nephi 3:7). I love you all! May God be with you always.
Love Keean
July 22, 2010 -A Slap in the Face
Hey,
Now I know that the subject this week is kinda an odd one but it really describes my week. I am so close to reporting to the MTC that it's crazy! This week is my last week of work. I actually only have 2 more days Thursday and Friday. One week exactly until I leave Houston to head back up to Colorado and Utah. I think more then anything else this realization of how close everything is has made me stop and realize how much I love everyone and how much i miss friends and family. My emotions are all swirled together it reminds me of a tye-died shirt all the colors are there together not real pattern and fading in and out across the shirt. Some times you can't even tell where one color starts and the other ends. If this is how it feels to come home from a mission I don't think I'll ever be ready to come home once I start. I love the people here in Texas so much! those in the ward especially my leaders my friends my home teaching families they all mean so much to me that its hard to close the door on this chapter. to start the next one even though I'm bursting with excitement to Serve the lord. I went to the Temple for the last time with my bishop and his wife today. I'm really going to miss having that weekly experience and being so close to them. I have a couple big plans before I leave Houston but I don't think that any of those plans will make up for how hard it will be to say goodbye to the people that I know and love here. My bags are being pack. my emotions spinning around and reality giving the final kick that I'm not a kid any more and its my turn to fight the fight and make the lord proud. To all those here in Texas I love you so much and as I leave i hope you'll always remember me as I will remember you. To those back home I love you and I can't wait to see you!! I hope that I wasn't just rambling in this letter and that you guys can take something good away from it. I love you all!! May God be with you and bless you throughout this next week.
LoveKeean
Now I know that the subject this week is kinda an odd one but it really describes my week. I am so close to reporting to the MTC that it's crazy! This week is my last week of work. I actually only have 2 more days Thursday and Friday. One week exactly until I leave Houston to head back up to Colorado and Utah. I think more then anything else this realization of how close everything is has made me stop and realize how much I love everyone and how much i miss friends and family. My emotions are all swirled together it reminds me of a tye-died shirt all the colors are there together not real pattern and fading in and out across the shirt. Some times you can't even tell where one color starts and the other ends. If this is how it feels to come home from a mission I don't think I'll ever be ready to come home once I start. I love the people here in Texas so much! those in the ward especially my leaders my friends my home teaching families they all mean so much to me that its hard to close the door on this chapter. to start the next one even though I'm bursting with excitement to Serve the lord. I went to the Temple for the last time with my bishop and his wife today. I'm really going to miss having that weekly experience and being so close to them. I have a couple big plans before I leave Houston but I don't think that any of those plans will make up for how hard it will be to say goodbye to the people that I know and love here. My bags are being pack. my emotions spinning around and reality giving the final kick that I'm not a kid any more and its my turn to fight the fight and make the lord proud. To all those here in Texas I love you so much and as I leave i hope you'll always remember me as I will remember you. To those back home I love you and I can't wait to see you!! I hope that I wasn't just rambling in this letter and that you guys can take something good away from it. I love you all!! May God be with you and bless you throughout this next week.
LoveKeean
July 14, 2010 -Defense or Offense or Both?
So this week I've thought about a term that I heard a lot when i played basketball. I tried and tried and tried to think of a quote or western saying cause I like those sayings much better but this one will have to do. "The best defense is a good offense" I think i heard that at least once a game from Coach Bruce but i don't think that i really understood it till this week. Dad brought the car down for me to use for this last month and to get back up to Colorado. (Thank you again Dad for taking the time to do that!) I started to talk with Darren about what I could do to prevent this car from also being stolen and we decided that I should get a chain and pad-lock and chain the steering wheel to the floor when i'm away from the car for long period like at work or at night. That is exactly what I did I went out and bought a big chain and a comparable pad-lock for it. It may look like a pain in the butt to do and undo when I have to drive but it gives me peace that I need to still do the other things that i have to do.
Later in the week I had a more spiritual realization of this saying. It was while i was at work driving around the airport and thinking about what i have done and what i really need to do to protect myself from the ever present and increasingly stronger temptings from Satan to go astray from the gospel path. It hit my that the best defense I can have is to have an increasingly stronger offensive movement: reading the scriptures more, being more sincere and consistent prayers, attending the temple, magnifying callings, sharing the gospel with friends. The best defense truly is a good offense.
My car was recovered last friday. I still don't know any of the details yet but i'll find them out this week. hopefully tomorrow i'll be able to get some much needed R&R but of course i still have a lot of things to do to get ready for my mission. Can you believe it i have less then a month till i report to the MTC, only 9 days until my last day of work. Crazy how time flies. Happy birthday to all those who had birthday's this week i know that there are a couple of you! Have an amazing week. May god be with each of you through out this next week.
Love always,
Keean
July 4, 2010 -Rough Week what Could the Lesson be?
Greetings to one and all,I know that its not Tuesday but i feel that now is a good time to write, I've been thinking about it a lot today. This week on Wednesday night/ Thursday morning my car was stolen from right in front of my house. Thursday was a rough day and i was on the phone with the police for most of the day. I wasn't able to go to work because both of my badges were in my car. Bobby let me barrow the car Friday morning to go to the airport and get my new badges. Then Friday night and Saturday I was sick. Now today is Sunday and we woke up and got ready for church and as we were backing out of the driveway we noticed that the back tire on Bobby's car had been stolen. At a first glance at this week i think about bad luck or maybe someone is targeting us but the more i think about it I find lessons. Like how a family can pull together and support each other. My dad was there to help me find the information that i needed for the police and now he is willing to bring a car down for me to drive for this last month so I can continue working. My grandma has called me everyday since she found out just to see how things are going for me. Bobby and Saylla have been here every step of the way to help and support me. even members of the ward family have pulled in to support us. One of the families i home teach especially has come and let us know that if there is anything that we need they are more then happy to help out. Now i don't say this to make anyone feel bad or to get people to say they are sorry I'm just trying to point out some lessons that i've learned.Another lesson, i think the one that might be most important for me as i get close to starting my mission, is to do with safety. Mexico isn't really a very safe place. I've heard that Tampico is no exception. I've been told that on my mission i would be in dangerous situations but the lord would protect me if i was doing what i was suppose to. Well in conference a year or to ago i think it was Elder Bednar spoken on how if we have fear we don't have faith because fear is from satan and Faith is from Heavenly Father. Well over the last couple days i can't say that i have been without. I believe that the Lord is preparing me both Spiritually and emotionally for the type of experiences that I will be having in Tampico. He is teaching me how important it is to keep faith in and fear out. To trust him 110% no matter what the situation is. I hope and pray that I am learning and strengthening my ability to do just that. I know that Our Heavenly Father lives and loves each and everyone of us and he does have a hand in each of your lives just as he does in mine. I also know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and he suffered and died for each of us that we may return to live with our Heavenly Father once again. I leave these things with you in the name of our Lord and Savior even Jesus Christ.I hope that every one is enjoying this celebration of the Birth of our Great country. I love you all! Have a GREAT week!Love alwaysKeean
June 29, 2010 -Thank You!!!
Hello Everybody,
Once again another week has come to a close and a new one has started. this one seems to be a fun one with Tropical Storm Alex soon to be Hurricane Alex. When I first got my call my dad and I sat down and where researching about Tampico and one of the things that we found interesting was that Tampico hasn't been hit by a Hurricane in like 50 years. Well Alex might not directly hit Tampico but its pretty darn close. We joked that now that i'm getting called there Tampico is going to have a Hurricane hit it i guess that we can't joke about that so much now.
This last week was a slow one I work an extra day so I only got one day off and man did that drain me of all the energy that I normally have. I have figured out a couple things that I hope will help me be more healthy and safe as I work late nights for this last month. Things like if i pack a dinner(peanut butter and jelly sandwiches) for me to take to work i not only get to eat dinner at night but I also don't have the problem of nodding off as I drive home. Nodding off is a scaring thing to think about but i found myself doing it a lot this week so hopefully eating on my way home will help.
I have had a lot of support from friends and ward members this week which has been great!! Jeremiah and I of course always support each other but it has been different this week as we both get closer to our missions I think it is getting stronger and i don't really know how to explain it but i can't wait to see him in the temple this week! Jeremiah my fingers are crossed that everything will work out for you this week. I went on a date with Marlies Finch this week we went out to breakfast and just talk that was the most fun that i've had in a while and it really helped me relax from all the stress that i've had with things getting so close. Her Family has also been very nice Brother and Sister Finch took some time to encourage me in what i'm doing. It was a very up lifting experience. Aunt Carolee and Spencer Thank you for the visit it was good to get to spend some time with you guys. I have really enjoyed being able to attend the temple especially with Bishop and Sister Stevens they have helped me learn so much and not be so nervous about asking questions or doing things alone. I guess this week I'm just grateful and want to thank everyone that has helped me this week! Thank You!!
I hope that everything is well back home or wherever y'all maybe. I hope that this next week a good one for everyone. May the lord be with each and every one of you!
Love always
Keean
P. S. Thank you for all the emails and letters that I've gotten they really make a difference in my week!
Once again another week has come to a close and a new one has started. this one seems to be a fun one with Tropical Storm Alex soon to be Hurricane Alex. When I first got my call my dad and I sat down and where researching about Tampico and one of the things that we found interesting was that Tampico hasn't been hit by a Hurricane in like 50 years. Well Alex might not directly hit Tampico but its pretty darn close. We joked that now that i'm getting called there Tampico is going to have a Hurricane hit it i guess that we can't joke about that so much now.
This last week was a slow one I work an extra day so I only got one day off and man did that drain me of all the energy that I normally have. I have figured out a couple things that I hope will help me be more healthy and safe as I work late nights for this last month. Things like if i pack a dinner(peanut butter and jelly sandwiches) for me to take to work i not only get to eat dinner at night but I also don't have the problem of nodding off as I drive home. Nodding off is a scaring thing to think about but i found myself doing it a lot this week so hopefully eating on my way home will help.
I have had a lot of support from friends and ward members this week which has been great!! Jeremiah and I of course always support each other but it has been different this week as we both get closer to our missions I think it is getting stronger and i don't really know how to explain it but i can't wait to see him in the temple this week! Jeremiah my fingers are crossed that everything will work out for you this week. I went on a date with Marlies Finch this week we went out to breakfast and just talk that was the most fun that i've had in a while and it really helped me relax from all the stress that i've had with things getting so close. Her Family has also been very nice Brother and Sister Finch took some time to encourage me in what i'm doing. It was a very up lifting experience. Aunt Carolee and Spencer Thank you for the visit it was good to get to spend some time with you guys. I have really enjoyed being able to attend the temple especially with Bishop and Sister Stevens they have helped me learn so much and not be so nervous about asking questions or doing things alone. I guess this week I'm just grateful and want to thank everyone that has helped me this week! Thank You!!
I hope that everything is well back home or wherever y'all maybe. I hope that this next week a good one for everyone. May the lord be with each and every one of you!
Love always
Keean
P. S. Thank you for all the emails and letters that I've gotten they really make a difference in my week!
June 23, 2010
Hello Everybody!
So once again another week has come to a close. It was so nice this last week to have Mom Krissy and Tanner down here in texas! I had a lot of fun strengthening those relationships. So even though i just went to the temple last tuesday it feels like i haven't been in like a month. I can definitely see the work of Satan in my life trying to keep me from going back but finally I'm going to make it back today even though I have way too many things to do and not enough time to do them in. I have decided that going to the temple today is the BEST thing that I can do with my time. I have been going through my life with Elder Oaks' talk Good, Better, Best and trying to make it so that I am doing the Best things that i can.
So I am always amazed at how the lord provides missionary opportunities to us when we show him that that is what we want to do. So I have a friend at work and his name is Roger. He came to me on Sunday night and we talked because he is looking at transferring up to Colorado and we just kindad talked about what colorado is like what might be a good area to look at living and then we kinda got into why he is transferring. I'm not going to get into that but religion was mentioned in the conversation and he asked if i went to church and of course I said I do and i am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints. Well we didn't really talk make that day about it but on monday he came up to me and just started asking questions. It was amazing!!! He is so ready for the gospel it is like exactly what he is looking for in his life. I was able to give him a Book of Mormon and a gospel principles book. He was excited to have those two books and be able to read them. We'll see what happens throughout the next couple weeks.
I have learned a lot of things through out my life but there is one thing in-particular that I keep 'learning' over and over and every time even though its the same it hits me like a ton of bricks and that is that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the True church of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I know this with out a doubt! I think i'm only starting to get a glimpse at the power that the Book of Mormon and attending the temple have.
Aunt Julie my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family as you are going through this rough time.
I hope that every one has a great week!
Love always,
Keean
June 15, 2010 -Blessings in Disguise
Hey everybody,
Another week has gone by. I hope that this week my address list for who gets this letter is more complete. This week was a rough one there is no doubt about that. I had a schedule change at work which is great but it required that I work 8 days straight. that alone is rough but to say the least work didn't run smoothly at all. For those of you that don't know what I do I load food on to airplanes. To actually load the food I have to gather the equipment, beverages, and food for the respective departments that make them and load them all on to my catering truck. Well basically all week one of the departments was an hour behind schedule. Monday (yesterday) all three deparments were behind and we were short on equipment. When I was going through the week it was really hard but i learned and got to practice several important things. First being keeping my cool not getting tense in the face of a stressful situation. I realized that not getting stressed helped me to keep the spirit and be the type of person that I should be. Second, I learned how an outward expression of kindness can change the way an event plays out. For an example I work for about 50% of the time that I work with flight attendents. Now they have rather long and sometimes frustrating days and when i get on a plane i can just start work and not say anything to them like most caterers do but taking the time to smile and ask them how they are doing has 80% of the catering experiences that I had into positive ones that ended well for both me and the flight crew. Anyways those where two of the blessing that i had this week. By learning those two things I think that it will be able to help me be a better missionary and person after I get back.
I had the opportunity to go through the temple this week with my parents, Bobby, Saylla, my Bishop and his Wife. What an amazing, up lifting, educational, and humbling experience! It was another testimony to me that this church is the true chruch of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I learned so much and I can't wait to be able to go back as soon as I can!
I love you all and hope that everything is well with you!! May God be with each and everyone of you.
Love
Keean
Another week has gone by. I hope that this week my address list for who gets this letter is more complete. This week was a rough one there is no doubt about that. I had a schedule change at work which is great but it required that I work 8 days straight. that alone is rough but to say the least work didn't run smoothly at all. For those of you that don't know what I do I load food on to airplanes. To actually load the food I have to gather the equipment, beverages, and food for the respective departments that make them and load them all on to my catering truck. Well basically all week one of the departments was an hour behind schedule. Monday (yesterday) all three deparments were behind and we were short on equipment. When I was going through the week it was really hard but i learned and got to practice several important things. First being keeping my cool not getting tense in the face of a stressful situation. I realized that not getting stressed helped me to keep the spirit and be the type of person that I should be. Second, I learned how an outward expression of kindness can change the way an event plays out. For an example I work for about 50% of the time that I work with flight attendents. Now they have rather long and sometimes frustrating days and when i get on a plane i can just start work and not say anything to them like most caterers do but taking the time to smile and ask them how they are doing has 80% of the catering experiences that I had into positive ones that ended well for both me and the flight crew. Anyways those where two of the blessing that i had this week. By learning those two things I think that it will be able to help me be a better missionary and person after I get back.
I had the opportunity to go through the temple this week with my parents, Bobby, Saylla, my Bishop and his Wife. What an amazing, up lifting, educational, and humbling experience! It was another testimony to me that this church is the true chruch of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I learned so much and I can't wait to be able to go back as soon as I can!
I love you all and hope that everything is well with you!! May God be with each and everyone of you.
Love
Keean
June 6, 2010 -Trying to Jump Start my Letters Home
Hey everybody,
So I've decided that I should start getting the habit of the things that I will be doing on my mission. One of those being weekly letters home. I have been really bad about this and phone calls for the last year while i've been down here in Houston. So this last week I think was a very productive one. I went in on tuesday and recieved the last four shots that I needed before I enter the MTC in August I was pretty excited to be able to check that off my list. I promised mom that I would call in sick on tuesday and though i didn't really get any sicker then I already was it was a good thing for me to do cause what ever shots they gave me in my right arm made it so that i could barely lift it and loading an airplane with food isn't something that can be done one handed. I ended up calling in on wednesday too cause the doctor gave me a note and i was still having a hard time lifting my arm.
Today I had both of my interviews for my temple recommend it was so exciting. I think that I've learned more about the temple in the past week then i have ever before it is just mind blowing to me how much information there is in the temple and how it can be a channel to open our minds to both things of the world and things of the spirit. I'm super excited to be able to go to the temple next week with mom, dad, bobby, and saylla. Ken and Konnie I would love to have you here to but i know that isn't going to happen but I'm looking forward to our temple trip in August.
I've been writing my missionary buddies this past week cause i finally found all of there addresses and I have got to say I love how we all are at different stages of the missionary experience we all have different backgrounds and how we get spread all over the world. Allthough most of my friends are state side i have one friend who will be serving in Germany/Austria, I have two down in mexico with me and then one in Brasil and one in Canada. I have one missionary experience that I would like to share. so down here I have a neighbor that always sits outside at night and drinks his beer. His name is adam and he is really nice we've talked off and on for the last year and he is always pushing me to go back to school which has of course lead to us talking about the gospel. At Easter I gave him and his family a copy of the church's easter dvd then last week we were talking again about my mission and I was able to give them a book of mormon to see for them selves why I would do this. I haven't seen them since last week but i think it is amazing how the lord provided me that opportunity to do that. It is truely amazing to me how much support I have and do recieve from those of other faiths in my decision to serve a mission.
I love you all. Thank you for all the support and love you show me. Have an amazing week!! May God be with you.
Love always
Keean
ps if know someone else who would like to receive these letters but isn't on the list or If you don't want to receive these please let me know and I'll take care of it
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